ABS Building Approvals show that the number of dwellings approved fell 4.4 per cent in December 2012, in seasonally adjusted terms, following a rise of 3.4 per cent in the previous month.

Dwelling approvals decreased in December in Tasmania (-21.8 per cent), Victoria (-12.3 per cent) and New South Wales (-1.3 per cent) but increased Queensland (7.9 per cent), South Australia (1.7 per cent) and Western Australia (1.3 per cent) in seasonally adjusted terms.

In seasonally adjusted terms, approvals for private sector houses fell 3.3 per cent in December. Private sector house approvals fell in Victoria (-12.7 per cent) and Western Australia (-2.2 per cent), but rose in South Australia (9.0 per cent), Queensland (5.2 per cent) and New South Wales (1.2 per cent).

The value of total building approved fell 1.9 per cent in December, in seasonally adjusted terms, and has fallen for three months. The value of residential building fell 3.0 per cent while non-residential building rose 0.1 per cent.

Further information is available in Building Approvals, Australia (cat no. 8731.0) on the ABS website at www.abs.gov.au

Media Note: Please ensure when reporting on ABS data that you attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.